Directions: Choose the correct answer from the given options.

What was the primary goal behind launching the National Rural Employment Programme (NREP)?

The correct answer is To generate gainful wage employment opportunities in rural areas.

Explanation:
1. The National Rural Employment Programme (NREP) was launched in October 1980 by the Government of India during the Sixth Five-Year Plan, replacing the earlier Food for Work Programme.
2. The primary goal behind launching the NREP was to generate additional gainful employment opportunities for unemployed and underemployed people in rural areas, particularly during lean agricultural seasons.
3. Besides providing wage employment, the programme aimed to create durable community assets (such as rural roads, school buildings, and water bodies) to strengthen the rural economy and improve the living standards of the rural poor.